Farm tractor



Jan. 19, 1954 r J. A. JOHNSON 2,666,491

FARM TRACTOR Filed Feb. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. l. 68

John A- Johnson INVENTOR.

BY jmzg Jan. 19, 1954 6 J. A. JOHNSON 2,666,491

7 FARM TRACTOR Filed Feb. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 68 70 74 /4 I 66 Fig. 3-

4a /6 I00 6 58 2 v 4, ea 96 I I04 I22 I08 J I o //6 94 9a /02 //2 a4 90 /5 20 John A. ,/ahns0r! INVENTOR.

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Patented Jan. 19, 1954.

UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE arsenal FARM macros snhnnsntnson, Zebulon, N. e. "zrppi-ioationitebruary 3, 195o, sevia1 :No. 142,218

' eclaims. (01. 180-45) This invention relates to novel and useful improvements in tractors.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved tractor of novel assembly and which includes a frame having a centrally mounted engine and transmission, a steering post rising from the center of the frame, "or substantially the center of the frame, together with a bracket holding a seat disposed in concentricfrelationship with respect to the post and capable or swinging movement so that the operator of the tractor may face in any direction which he wishes.

Another object of this invention is to steer the.

position that. there is no tractor part in front, 1

to either side, or to the rear of his direct line of vision and for a considerable amount below and above his direct line of vision.

Ancillary objects and features will become -a-p parent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention.

in the drawings: v

Figure 1 is a-n el'evatidnal v iew of the device;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device of Figurel';

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken-substantially along the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and in the direction o'fthe arrows; H

Figure '4 is a sectional view of a part of the steering mechanism, and taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 5 is a perspective schematic View showing the steering operation; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged view taken substantially along the line 6-6 of Figure 3 and in the direction of the arrows.

There is a frame It] provided with a platform I 2 thereon. Drawbars may be attached to the front and rear of the frame. A motor shroud cover I4 is disposed substantially centrally of the frame and has an engine thereunder behind the access door 16. The engine is of conventional description and has the transmission I8 also of a conventional nature operatively connected the differentials'ifl and 26 (Figure 2) which'are interposed the axles 2B and 30, either of which may be considered the front and the other the rear. Wheels 32 and 34 are disposed at the ends or the axle 28 and wheels "3]5 and "3 8 are disposed at the ends or the axle 30.. These "wheels are drivingly connected with the engine through the described structure, said descnibed structure including various conventional expedients, as universal joints 4'!) and "42 the drive shaft, wherever it is found necessary. Each wheel "is connected with the axle for steering movement by a conventional pitman steering apparatus. For the wheels 3'2 and '34, there is a tie rod 44 connected to the two pitrhan mechanisms, and this tie rod has rack gear "teeth 46 thereon.

A gear train48 is supplied in connection "with this tie rod. The gear "train includes a lower gear '51) which is enmeshed with "said teeth '46, and a pinion 52 enmeshed with the gear 30. This pinion has a shaft "54 extending the 'efi'ofih which is connected 'Withfa telescoping part 56 of a steering column through the medium or a universal joint '56. Another 'uifiversal jointitfi connected with the telescoping part 56 "to the section 6'2. Enmeshed bevel gears 64 and B5 are provided respectively onthe section B2 and the 'vert'icalsteering post "68 which passes through "a l'learing 10 on the shroud M. A "steering wheel 12 mounted substantially centrally of the frame 'isiixedto the'steeringpo's't'ttl. Y,

A seat bracket 14 has a bearing T6 at its lower end and a seat I8 at its upper end. The bearing '16 is mounted for rotation in a part of the "bearing 10 whereby the seat 18 is capable of a full 3'60 movement about the vertical poslt 6 as an axis. upper limit collar '80 is fixed to'the ost 68 in order to prevent the bracket 14 from being separated from the bearing 10.

A tie rod 84 is secured at its ends to the pitman steering linkages for the wheels 36 and 38. This tie rod has teeth 86 thereon and a gear 88 is enmeshed therewith. This gear is secured to the rear section 92 of a rear sectional shaft indicated generally at 90. The section 92 is fixed directly to the gear 88 and is suspended by a bracket or hanger 94. A universal joint 96 connects the telescoping section 98 with the A bracket or hanger I04 is employed to hold the.

section 102 in place.

The gear 50 is fixed to the forward section I08 of a forward sectional shaft and a universal joint H0 connects the section H2 there- 3 with; a. universal joint II4 connecting said section II2 with the section H6.

The confronting ends of the sections I02 and H6 are non-circular and are preferably square. A collar II8 having a groove I20 therearound is disposed on the end of the section I02. This collar has a bore of the same cross-sectional shape as the ends of the sections I02 and H0.

A yoke I22 is disposed in the groove I20 and the shank I24 extending from the yoke is mounted in a bearing I26 which is carried by the frame I0. Rising from the shank I24 is a control lever I28 which operates on the quadrant I30 fixed to a suitable part of the frame.

Accordingly, upon operation of the control lever I28, the collar I I8 is slid forwardly or rearwardly to engage or disengage for simultaneous movement the non-circular ends of the sections I02 and H6.

In operation, the steering wheel I2 is turned. In so doing, the tie rod 44 is slid to the left or the right, thereby turning the wheels 32 and 36 in unison. Inasmuch as the gear train 48 is used to impart this movement to the tie rod 44 and one of the gears 50 is secured to the sectional shaft, the sectional shaft will rotate at the same time that the tie rod 44 is slid in one direction or the other.

However, the collar II8 may be slid forwardly or rearwardly to engage the rear part of the sectional shaft 90 or disengage it with the front part thereof. When the collar is in such position as to cause rotation of the entire sectional shaft 50, the tie rod 84 is slid in the same direction as the tie rod 44, thereby causing the other wheels 36 and 38 to be steered.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a tractor including an elongated frame having forward and rear axles and forward and rear pairs of wheels connected to the forward and rear axles for steering movement; a forward rigid tie rod terminally connected to the forward Wheels; a rear rigid tie rod terminally connected to the rear wheels; forward and rear sectional shafts extending longitudinally of the frame; each of said sectional shafts being composed of three sections and universal joints connecting the sections; coaxial longitudinal bearings supported by the frame and rotatably supporting the adjacent sections of said forward and rear shafts and maintaining the adjacent sections coaxial; one section of said rear shaft being a telescoped section; forward and rear support brackets carried by said forward and rear axles and including substantially horizontal bearing portions rotatably and slidably supporting the forward section of the forward shaft and the rear section of the rear shaft, respectively; said forward tie rod having an upper face provided with rack teeth; a first gear fixed to the forward section of the forward sectional shaft and overlying and meshing with the rack teeth on said forward tie rod; said forward support bracket being provided with a second horizontal bearing portion overlying the first named bearing por tion of said forward bracket; a steering column supported by the frame and having a forward horizontal shaft section journalled for rotation in said second bearing portion; a drive gear fixed on said horizontal shaft section overlying and meshing with said first gear; said first gear and said drive gear lying in the plane of the forward tie rod; said rear tie rod having an upper face provided with rack teeth; a second gear fixed to the rear end portion of the rear shaft and overlying and meshing with the rack teeth of said rear tie rod; and a clutch including a collar slidably engaged on the forward section of the rear shaft and movable selectively onto and off of the rear section of the forward shaft whereby said forward and rear shafts may be rotated as a unit, and further, whereby said forward shaft may be rotated independently of said rear shaft.

2. The combination of claim 1, and a power plant supported centrally of said frame and operatively connected to said forward and rear wheels for driving the same and having a rigid cover, a bearing'carried by said cover rotatably supporting said steering column, a steering post supported by said cover and operatively connected to said steering column, and a seat including a holding bracket horizontally swingably supported on said post, whereby a driver on the seat may face forwardly or rearwardly and have access to said post.

JOHN A. JOHNSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,093,131 Hays Apr. 14, 1914 1,131,729 Neudorff Mar. 16, 1915 1,189,378' Mohr July 4, 1916 1,289,296 Stebbins et a1 Dec. 31, 1918 1,866,393 Brooks July 5, 1932 2,207,447 Viles et al .a July 9, 1940 2,354,830 Reid Aug. 1, 1944 2,396,881 Reed Mar. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,461 Great Britain 7 Feb. 11, 1902 254,705 Italy Aug. 25, 1927 451,813 Great Britain Aug. 12, 1936 489,445 Great Britain July 27, 1938 

